[NDR] Official Beckham scuttlebutt/musings/etc. thread, part II [R for LAG games]

so, is this a subtle dig at Lalas, calling him the same name as Joan Collins' character on "Dynasty," or do you not know his name is Alexi?

 

Did anyone ask him the rationale behind Findlay and Sturgis for Klein and how he felt that would improve his team?

 

Or just come straight out and ask "are you trying to run the team into the ground or are you just stupid?".

 

I was going to watch this last night but wasn't able to catch it. Someone should of asked him how much it suckedy suck sucks to be so sucky. Or why NYRB is doing better with him gone and LA worse (which is a feat of itself to do worse than last year) with him there? Or how does it feel to fire people for your own failures?

Or something.

 

I don't usually watch Fox Phone-In, but I caught it last night.

Holy Crap what an ignorant moron!!!

Kudos to the fans calling him on all the boneheaded moves!

Kudos to him for taking the calls!

But besides Beckham (for sure a step up over whomever they could have played at RM), he seems to have made one bad personnel move after another. Maybe he should be their "star" recruiter & leave other player/personnel moves to others.

No one likes to admit their wrong, but seriously the fan that called him on his winning percentage was right on. 333 (or whatever) is awful. At some point you have to start looking in the mirror for the problem, right?

 

All the people calling in were asking him if he seriously thought he'd be back next year, and if any of the coaching staff would be around. Alexi (yea, I always had trouble typing his name, I know it but I never get it right) had said that people were complaining about how many of their explayers were doing better after they left LA and he said that didn't interest him at all. But people called in and said that probably shows something about the system there, that they don't play well in LA for a reason. One of his answers to almost everything was that the Galaxy is in a position that no other MLS team has ever been in and not everyone can handle it. He said they're looking for players that thrive in that kind of environment. But really, isn't that the fault of the management, they're not able to control the environment there better?

They asked him about Klinsmann coming to LA, he said it was pure speculation. But when they asked him again if they had been in talks, he couldn't deny it and said they were friends and that Klinsmann was friends with AEG and that they are always talking.

I don't think Lalas came off as a complete idiot. I think, at least publicly, he comes across ok, and always says the right things. Behind the scenes, he's made one terrible move after another but even though I've never liked him, I do think he has been a good spokesman for the Galaxy. And it was brave of him to take questions from the Fone-In guys, who were seriously grilling him, and from the guys on the phones too. He handled all the questions well I thought.

 

Lalas was brought in by AEG to be a "showman" FO. Glitz, talks and attitude. AEG has succeeded in making a splash with Lalas and his 3 ring circus, albeit not a positive splash. They will take him to task this offseason and fire Yallop. Yallop is not a "star" coach. That's what AEG needs to complete the "Galaxitives" package. Then, Lalas blames it all on injuries and Yallop and brings in Klinsmann or some other high profile coach. Midway through next season Lalas gets fired after Yallop trounces them with San Jose.

 

I can't have been the only one that could see Lalas basically saying that Donovan was on his way out to make room for a second DP.

 

Hmmm. I missed the interview, otherwise I would have added Donovan just like you did.

 

He said Donovan is the best US player, so he doesn't see him leaving in the foreseeable future.

So guess he's out by next year, huh? I'd never heard that, that they would send D to SJ to open another DP spot so they can get another foreign "star." If they can't handle one big star, imagine the fun they'd have with two!

 

I'd read on the Riot Squad board last night that he'd dragged this excuse out again, he was also spouting this when interviewed on ESPN during the first couple of Beckham games last month. That is such a crock of shit, especially in trying to excuse the Findley and Sturgis for Klein trade. Meanwhile, they keep Pete Vagenas, and keep starting him - allegedly because he and Lalas are pals.

Pretty much all the moves they've made since the season began have reeked of desperation - "let's throw this crap against the wall and see if it sticks." I didn't think Gomez and Ihemulu for Cannon before the season began was so bad, but even that had the downside of forcing them to trade Hartman for less than he was probably worth.

We still don't know if MLS will tweak the DP rule in the offseason. I know people will yell "conspiracy" if it's changed to allow all teams 2 DP's or something, but I would not be surprised to see Donovan still in LA next yr.

 

That's funny, because that was another thing Lalas said, ".....if the rules stay the same...." and at the time I thought he was saying "....if we can manage to get the rules changed...."

I'll be the one yelling "conspiracy!"

 

Who thinks that he wouldn't ship Donovan out if a Zidane became available?

In his world where star players win in MLS, I think that if he feels he can get a bigger name, he'll trade Donovan to SJ & trade whatever else he can for another DP (say that #1 pick might look real good to a team that isn't close to a DP signing).

He just doesn't get that it takes a strong team & throwing a Beckham into Houston would work. But throwing him onto an uncompetitive team like 06/07 Galaxy isn't a good idea.

 

it's ironic to me how the decline of the galaxy parallels the disaster that was the "galacticos" of real madrid.

poor upper management, poor coaching, reliance on stars, signing aging veterans and giving up young up and coming talent, and poor record.

 

So, instead of everyone chantting "Who the F is David Beckham" we should chant "WHERE the F is David Beckham" due to him being out.

 

I agree with Funkie.

When we're winning, we need to say what we said back in April: You need Beckham! *clap-clap-clap*

 

Designated Players for 2008:

ChivasUSA - TRADED to RBNY
Chicago - Blanco
Colorado - NONE
FC Dallas - Denilson, Carlos Ruiz
Houston - NONE
Kansas City - Eddie Johnson
LA - David Beckham, Landon Donovan
New England - NONE
Real Salt Lake - NONE
RedBull NY - JP Angel, Claudio Reyna
San Jose - NONE
Toronto FC - NONE

Teams in Red have more DP's than DP slots.

My thoughts:
EJ is headed to Europe.
LD is on his way to SJ.
Obviously, Ruiz will take a pay cut or be on his way out, but to where?
Toronto takes draft picks for their DP so that LAG can sign their second Galactico, and head further down the crapper.

 

He turned down a deal to Derby this year, I'm sure that next time he'll go.

Agreed. No one in MLS will pay him DP money next year.

I think that it may be Toronto, because of the way that they draw at home. Adding a DP wouldn't help them sell more tickets (I guess we can see next year), so they might not be that attached to a DP.

I could see them using those picks to then try to secure some of the top Canadian players in MLS.

This would be my thought. LAG is 100%. DCU seems to be able to find good players in South America, w/o using a DP. Houston seems to be in about the same spot as DCU, in terms of talent so I'd say they're about equal (75%+).

Lions and Rapids could use DP's to sell their new stadiums, but RSL seems to have added some internationals that really have bolstered their line-up. I'd say they're both about 50-50

 

Becks will be in the booth with Glenn during tomorrow night's LAG x Chivas game on ESPN2 at 10 pm CT:

 

Canavaro greatest defender all of worldi!!

 

that is probably one of the best avatars I've seen!!!